Latest News

United States southeast deals with difficult task tidying up from Helene; death toll increases

Authorities across a wide swath of the southeastern United States dealt with the challenging task on Saturday of cleaning up from Typhoon Helene, one of the most powerful to hit the nation, as the death toll continued to increase.

At least 43 deaths were reported by late on Friday, and authorities feared still more bodies would be found throughout numerous states.

Helene, reduced late on Friday to a post-tropical cyclone, continued to produce heavy rains across a number of states, stimulating dangerous flooding that threatened to create dam failures that could swamp whole towns.

In Florida's Pinellas County near Tampa, Constable Bob Gualtieri said he had never seen damage like that which Helene wrought. I would simply describe it, having invested the last couple of hours out there, as a battle zone, Gualtieri informed a press conference.

At least 3.5 million clients remained without power throughout five states, with authorities cautioning it could be a number of days before services were completely restored.

Scientists say environment modification contributes to fueling stronger, more damaging cyclones.

Before moving north through Georgia and into Tennessee and the Carolinas, Helene struck Florida's Huge Bend region as a. powerful Classification 4 cyclone on Thursday night, packing 140 mph. ( 225 kph) winds. It left a disorderly landscape of. reversed boats in harbors, dropped trees, submerged cars and. flooded streets.

Cops and firemens carried out thousands of water. rescues throughout the affected states on Friday.

More than 50 people were saved from the roofing of a medical facility. in Unicoi County, Tennessee, about 120 miles (200 km) northeast. of Knoxville, state officials stated, after floodwaters swamped. the rural neighborhood.

Rising waters from the Nolichucky River avoided ambulances. and emergency lorries from leaving clients and others. there, the Unicoi County Emergency situation Management Agency stated on. social media. Emergency teams in boats and helicopters were. performing saves.

Somewhere else in Tennessee, Rob Mathis, the mayor of Cocke. County, ordered the evacuation of downtown Newport because of a. prospective failure at the nearby Walters dam.

In western North Carolina, Rutherford County emergency situation. officials alerted residents near the Lake Tempt Dam that it might. fail, although they stated late on Friday that failure did not. appear imminent.

In neighboring Buncombe County, landslides required interstates 40. and 26 to close, the county stated on X.

WAKING TO DISASTER

The degree of the damage in Florida started emerging after. daybreak on Friday.

In seaside Steinhatchee, a storm surge - a wall of seawater. pushed ashore by winds - of eight to 10 feet (2.4-3 meters). moved mobile homes, the National Weather Service said on X. In. Treasure Island, a barrier island neighborhood in Pinellas County,. boats were grounded in front yards.

The city of Tampa posted on X that emergency workers had. finished 78 water rescues of locals which numerous roads were. impassable due to the fact that of flooding. The Pasco County sheriff's. office saved more than 65 people.

Officials had actually pleaded with citizens in Helene's course to. follow evacuation orders, with National Typhoon Center Director. Michael Brennan describing the storm surge as unsurvivable.

Gualtieri, the Pinellas County sheriff, stated the conditions. prevented very first responders from addressing a number of emergency situation. calls. On Friday, county authorities found a minimum of five individuals. dead.

Two others in Florida passed away, stated Guv Ron DeSantis. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp's workplace reported 15 storm-related. fatalities in that state, while North Carolina Governor Roy. Cooper stated there had been 2 deaths there.

At least 19 people died during the storm across South. Carolina, the Charleston-based Post and Courier newspaper. reported, mentioning local authorities.

(source: Reuters)